


Children Know Best

by Zany_Frog



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Child Papyrus, Child Sans, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Homelessness, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Papyrus Is Trying, Past Child Abuse, Past Child Neglect, Sans Needs A Hug, Self-Harm, Unknowing Child Labor, as in the people don't know the person is a child
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-17
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2018-08-31 13:04:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8579641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zany_Frog/pseuds/Zany_Frog
Summary: Sans didn’t know when it got to be like this. He knows he should be happy that they’re on the surface, but he’s too worried with where their next meal is gonna come from, when they’re gonna get money next. He’s too worried about surviving to be happy about the surface.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so bad at summaries that I just copy-pasted the first paragraph of the story.  
> THIS STORY ACTUALLY HAS A PLAN, I AM SURPRISED AT MYSELF FOR FORMING SAID PLAN. Also, if you've read some of my other stories than you know how this is gonna go.  
> Dear god, that title is crap. Any suggestions for a better title are welcomed.
> 
> Unrelated note: I have a plan for the Tape You story (about the tapes from Worlds Collide), but it has more to do with Gaster's story. Yes, there will be the tapes in it, but there will also be why he is the way he is today. I just need to figure out how to begin because I don't want to post it out of order like how it is on my doc. I have both Torii and Screw helping me, but it might take more time than I was planning. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Sans didn’t know when it got to be like this. He knows he should be happy that they’re on the surface, but he’s too worried with where their next meal is gonna come from, when they’re gonna get money next. He’s too worried about surviving to be happy about the surface. 

He knows Paps is ecstatic, as he is with most things, but he can’t muster up enough energy to be happy, much less _ecstatic_. He had never had much energy to begin with, and having jobs that took up most of his days did not help. But it was worth it, so long as his brother got what he wanted. 

His brother...who was currently pulling on his sleeve. Right, he had been asked something. What was it? “What’d you ask, bro?” 

Papyrus huffed playfully before sticking out his tongue. “I asked if we could go to Auntie Undyne’s today. You were zoned out for five minutes straight this time!” 

“Huh, must’ve been in the zone.” That was a bad pun. He would have been able to think of a better one if he wasn’t so damn tired. 

“Sans!” Papyrus’s indignant screech made Sans give a small smile. 

“Yeah, Paps?” 

“Just - ugh - are we going to Auntie Undyne’s or not?” Sans’s smile faded a bit at that. He had work in about - he checked his watch - a half an hour. He could ask Undyne and Alphys to watch Paps while he was away? He had never really liked leaving him alone all day anyways. Yeah, asking wouldn't be too much trouble. He just needed to think of an excuse that was believable. 

“Uh, yeah, sure. I have to go to work for a while, though, so you’re probably gonna stay the night.” Papyrus immediately started doing a little jig. “Remember your promise, alright? No talking about home. No talking about parents.” Paps paused his jig to nod seriously. 

“I promise, Sans! I won’t let you down!” 

Sans smiled and picked through their meager belongings. “You could never let me down. Here’re your pjs and an outfit for tomorrow. Oh, and Mr. Teddy.” He handed the items to Paps while he listed them, then stood up and dusted himself off. Sans then held out a hand that Papyrus latched onto. 

“Hold on tight.” He really shouldn’t be shortcutting, but he didn't want Papyrus to worry and they always ported to Undyne's. His magic swirled around the two as the world around them faded until it was completely dark. The world faded in, pushing the dark void to the edges of Sans's vision. After a few blinks, it was gone, replaced by a brightly colored living room. 

“Sans! We need to knock before coming in! It's rude!” Paps's loudness must have notified the occupants of their arrival, because in the next minute, Undyne was there, followed by a tired looking Alphys. 

“Hey, kids.” Undyne yawned before giving Papyrus and him a smile. Alphys waved and leaned against Undyne to keep from falling. “What're you doing here so early?” 

Sans gave a glance to his watch again. He was going to be late if he didn't leave soon. “Uh, yeah, sorry. Our parents are busy and I have to do some things, so could you watch Paps for the day?” 

“‘Course.” Undyne seemed a bit more awake and alert. Alphys had also perked up. “What're your parents doing that they can't take care of Paps?” 

Sans frowned a bit. Undyne and Alphys had never questioned their ‘parents’ being busy before. Had he said something to tick them off to their problem? He didn't think so. 

“Just...work. Okay, I really have to go or I'll be late.” His voice was a little faster and higher than he would have liked. If he was late, they wouldn't count one of his hours, and that would mean less money, less food, and they were just hanging on by a thread anyways, if they lost what little food they got they would be dust. Paps would be dust. 

“Alright, go ahead. Wouldn't want you to be late.” 

“Mhm, see ya. Love you, Paps!” With that, he hurried to the door and sprinted to work. 

… 

“Sans, stop slacking off, you idiot!” 

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.” His voice was always quieter here, he had noticed. It was almost as if it was impossible to speak louder. 

“I don't want apologies, I want work, you fucking maggot!” 

“Of course, sir.” His response was automatic by now. Sans had worked a lot of jobs in his short life, but he knew this one was the worst out of all of them. Constant yelling, constant instructions, constant work. He had talked to the other workers and realized he was being treated unfairly, but, as a monster, that's expected. And he couldn't really just leave his job, he would need to find another one that paid the same or more than his current one that also happened to have the same hours. The pay wasn’t as much of a problem as the hours. Monsters always got paid less in their human jobs. He could probably find one that paid him a lot more if he just got a monster job, but he couldn’t do that. They knew he was a kid. Well, physically a kid- 

“Sans, snap out of it. He's gonna yell at you again,” Jesse hissed at him through clenched teeth. Sans turned blankly towards them, then flinched when they waved a hand in front of his face. He blinked a few times before flashing Jesse a smile. 

“Thanks. Was staring off into space there for a second. Must be starstruck from all these tables that need cleared.” 

Jesse simply shook their head. “We can talk after our shift is finished.” Sans nodded grimly and turned back to his side of the restaurant. 

He had a lot more tables than the others, he had also realized. They had breaks too. He just worked nonstop until he burnt out. Or at least that's what it felt like. 

He quickly cleaned one of the tables that had been abandoned. The little bell above the door rang and Sans instinctively turned towards it. A small groan left his mouth before he could stop it. Hurriedly stacking the dishes on top of one another, Sans nearly ran to the back. 

“Hey, Jesse? Could you handle Ed today?” He asked it nonchalantly as he carefully sat the dirty dishes near the sink. 

“Oh my god, Sans. Why me? Why not ask one of your mortal enemies? It could be like one of those win-win situations. They would both get their comeuppance.” 

A hopeful look and puppy dog eyes took over his features. He wasn’t sure if it would work with Jesse, but it usually worked with Undyne or Alphys. 

Jesse stared at him for all of three seconds before slumping in defeat. “You’re the devil. There’s no hope for me, is there?” 

Sans smiled wickedly. “No hope at all.” He turned to the cook that could be seen through a small, arching window. “Isn’t that right, Carol?” 

“Honey, there was no hope for Jesse when you first walked through that door.” The tall woman wiped sweat from her forehead with her arm before returning to the task at hand. Jesse huffed in mock agitation before spinning around and leaving the room with a smile. Both the skeleton and the cook watched the scene with amusement. “You’d better get ta work. Those dishes ain't gonna wash themselves, sugar buns.” 

Sans gave a small laugh before turning towards the sink. “I don’t have any buns, Carol. I’m a skeleton.” 

“Sans, if you dare make a skeleton pun, I will cook you alive.” 

“Awww, but I wanted to fry and make a skelepun. Dishes the perfect opportunity.” 

A sigh that ended in a giggle sounded from the kitchen. It was music to Sans's non existent ears. “If you weren't so darn cute, I would come over there and smack you.” 

“Noted.”


	2. Chapter 2

Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys were asleep on the couch by the time Sans got there. The tv was still on, showing some weird anime that looked to be about...cat girls? Sans decided not to question it. He was too tired anyways. The talk with Jesse had gone surprisingly well, but it had cost a lot of energy for him to deflect questions like that. It felt bad to do, but he couldn't let Jesse know how hard he worked, how tired he was. How tired he always felt. 

He flopped on the floor next to the couch and closed his eyes. The next second, he snapped them open again. He hadn't eaten all day. He...he was so stupid. He needed food, at least enough to teleport home. Or Papy would worry, and then he would talk to Undyne and Alphys about it, and it would all spiral downhill from there. 

With a quiet sigh, he pulled himself to his feet, rummaging in his pockets for any money he could find. He pulled out a gold coin and a dime. Neither would get him anywhere, especially with how late it was. 

Well, looks like he needed to go late night dumpster diving again. As quietly as possible, Sans slipped on his shoes and walked out the door. How could he be so stupid? Not eating like that would just lead to more problems. Maybe he could snatch a ketchup bottle from Grillby's dumpster. There was usually one or two laying about that weren't completely empty. 

He had often wondered who used that much ketchup in only a few days, but then he remembered that Grillby's was a restaurant. Where people eat what they want and put however much other stuff they want on it. They didn't have to ration their food like he did. They didn't have to grab what they could and then cut it in half just to make sure that they had something for tomorrow. 

A blaring horn reverberated in his skull. The city. Right. He was in the city now. He had to be careful, unless he wanted to be caught by a family member or friend or one of the monster community that knew of him. That was a lot harder to do Underground, where everyone knew your face and everyone was someone to avoid. Here all he had to do was duck into alley and walk a few blocks away if someone showed up. 

Grillby's alley was a few feet ahead of him. He took a moment to decide if he actually wanted ketchup or not before slipping into the darkness. Grill’s trash was the best to rummage through by far, it mostly only held food since he was the only one to use it and monsters didn't need all of the things that humans needed. He had found that out recently when looking through a human restaurant’s garbage. 

With a shake of his head, he pulled a rickety crate over to the dumpster, opened the lid, and peeked his head in. He almost cried in relief when he saw the nearly full ketchup bottle on top of all the trash. It was just...a little far away. He could probably use his magic to get it, but that would drain his already low reserves. He might be able to hop up and get it, or hop in. He didn't find any of his options appealing. Draining his magic would make him feel lethargic tomorrow, hopping up would probably break the crate he was standing on, and hopping in would make him smell like trash and cause questions. 

Thinking for a bit, he looked around the alley. There were a few cardboard boxes and an empty metal trash can laying around, but nothing really useful. There was a chance that he could climb onto the trash can, but it was possibly even less sturdy than the crate with how rusted it was. He could probably see through it if he got the right angle. With a disappointed sigh, he looked back to the ketchup bottle. He didn't want to dig through trash to find his food when there was something so tantalizingly close. He gave a growl but let it go. There were probably more bottles just under the surface anyways. 

He tore open a bag, staring longingly at the ketchup bottle as he pulled off his jacket, setting it gently on the ground. Without the threat of his jacket getting dirty, he stuck his hands into the bag, shifting aside moldy and burnt food. A bright red among the food caught his eye. He eagerly dug it out. Instead of the red deliciousness of ketchup, he was greeted by the rusty red of hot sauce. 

Hesitatingly taking the bottle out, he looked it over. It was expired, but it wasn't so expired that it would make him sick. He's never tried drinking hot sauce before, but the other condiments he had tried had been good and there was enough in the bottle for about the amount needed for a teleport, maybe a little less. Sans shrugged before screwing off the cap and chugging it down. 

He almost immediately regretted his decision. One second he was fine, feeling better even, the next he was coughing and trying to spit out the devil liquid. He didn't think it would be _that_ hot! Jeez, he was never drinking hot sauce again! 

He continued coughing until there were tears streaming down his cheeks and he felt like he was about to pass out. After a painful few seconds, his coughing settled down and he became aware of a flickering light in the alley with him that wasn't there before. Sans blinked a few times to make sure he wasn't hallucinating from lack of oxygen. It was still there. He slowly turned around. 

A flame monster stood there, his fire flickering white at the tips. Sans stared frozen at the monster before inching towards the entrance of the alley. 

“You...you’re the one who's been going through my trash?” 

Sans shook as he nodded. “I-I'm sorry.” His gaze flickered to the dumpster, the now empty bottle of hot sauce in his hand, and then the monster in front of him. He could probably run, but he had no idea how fast this monster was or if being caught by him would be life threatening. 

“Would you...like to come inside?” 

Sans shook his head, a small bolt of panic twisting in his soul. “No.” 

The flame monster took a step closer, holding his hand out. Sans didn’t stay long enough to pay attention to what he was saying, instead throwing the hot sauce bottle at the monster and running as fast as he could out of the alley and towards Undyne’s. 

He was not going to let some random monster take him into their home. He knew most monsters weren’t that kind, and he had been rummaging through that one’s trash and probably making a mess of his alley. He definitely wouldn’t be nice to Sans. 

The only reason Undyne and Alphys were nice to him and Pap is because they didn’t know about his past. They didn’t know how horrible he was. If they knew...well, the results wouldn’t be pretty. Honestly, Papyrus only stayed because he was too young to remember what Sans did. He felt horrible for keeping Papyrus with him, but he _needed_ him. 

Before he knew it, Sans stood shivering and panting on the doorstep of Undyne’s house, almost all magic stored from the hot sauce going into keeping him warm. It was in that moment that he noticed he had forgotten his jacket in that monster’s alley. 

God, how stupid could a monster get? Sans shook his head. No, it didn't matter. Between being cold and getting hurt, he would choose being cold any day.


	3. Chapter 3

Sans didn't think about the fact that he had used up most of the magic he had gained last night. Nor did he remember that today was the day where he would be sign spinning. Papyrus had been suspicious when Sans had woken him up to go back to their normal alley and hadn't just teleported there. He was also suspicious about him not having his ever present jacket. Sans knew he would be, but he deflected the questions easily enough. Guilt was clawing at his soul, but it wasn’t like he could tell Paps anything. 

Now, the only problem was the below freezing temperatures. Winter had just started, but the temperature had been relatively okay the past few days. Warm enough that Sans could just wear his worn down jacket and his hole-filled sweatpants and be fine. 

But today just had to be the day where it was freezing and he didn’t have his jacket and his sweatpants didn’t seem to be holding any heat whatsoever. He could feel snow melting into his clothes and there was cold water sloshing around in his shoes. Maybe socks would have helped, but he hadn’t been able to find any in the trash for himself. Plus, he wasn’t going to buy a full pack of them when he was the only one that needed them. He had already found Paps some. He didn’t need any. He would be fine. 

Except he wouldn’t be, and he knew it. He was going to get sick from this weather if he didn’t find somewhere warm soon. But he couldn’t just not do his job. 

Sans’s hand shook as he brought it up to look at his watch. He still had three hours left. He could handle that. He noticed his fingers looked a little more grey than normal. They felt brittle too. 

He brought his hand down and ignored the somewhat painful movement. He would be fine. He could handle a few more hours. For Papyrus. 

“...Hello.” 

Sans nearly fell he jumped so hard. He looked up with wide eye sockets. It was the monster. The one from the alley. He shuddered. Whether it was from the cold or his fear he didn't know. 

“H-how'd you f-find me?” His voice was probably shaking more than he was, his soul shivering more than both combined. He wanted to drop the sign in his hands and run for his life in the opposite direction. But that wouldn't help. 

The monster pulled Sans's jacket from a bag he was carrying. “I asked others around my area. You work a lot of jobs for a child.” 

Sans stared at the jacket before looking off to the side. “C-Can I please have my j-jacket back?” 

Silence answered his question. He hesitantly looked back up at the monster, watching with wide eyes as he pulled a heavy blue jacket out of his bag. It looked new and had soft fur lining the hood. He stared at it, wondering how in the world this had to do with his question. 

“I got this for you. It looked like you needed it.” The monster held out the jacket, and that’s when Sans noticed that it looked around his size, if not a bit larger. 

“You-You got me a jacket?” Sans wasn’t sure if he should laugh or cry at the thought. 

“Yes.” The monster inched closer, adjusting the jacket in his hands. 

Sans took a step back, nearly falling over as pain lanced up his leg and he realized just how long he’s been standing in the cold. Five hours in this weather. Five hours of water in his shoes and wind against his bones. 

Skeletons weren’t as easily susceptible to cold, but he hadn’t been able to stay in a heated place long enough for the water on his bones to have evaporated. Meaning there was now ice caked over his bones that rendered him near useless. Like always. 

“Do not be frightened. I will not harm you.” The monster stopped moving, again holding out the jacket. 

It was tempting. Oh so tempting. Sans wanted to believe this stranger and take the jacket without thinking of the consequences that were sure to follow, but he hadn’t been taught to trust. 

“What d-do you want in return?” He shifted from foot to foot, ignoring the shooting pain the movement provided. 

“For what?” The monsters hand still hadn't moved from its place in the air. A gust of wind blew the jacket in his hand slightly, and Sans swayed just as the jacket did. Why did the world hate him? 

“The jacket. You h-have to want someth-thing.” He wanted to take it and run. 

The monster’s flames seemed to become darker for a moment, the tips turning red as his hand shook almost imperceptibly. Sans watched as the jacket crinkled slightly from the monster’s hand tightening around it. His anger was inevitable, but Sans wasn't sure what he did to have angered this monster at the moment. He _did_ steal from his trash, but it seemed as if he had been forgiven for the time being, something that was a miracle in and of itself. Maybe he had talked too much? Maybe he had been expected to take the jacket and go with the monster without asking questions about the consequences? He didn't know. This monster was new and odd, and he seemed to want different things than what Sans had been told to give and do. 

“I...I only ask that you let me help you.” 

Sans looked the monster in the eyes, or what he assumed were his eyes. “You’re lying. You want more. Everyone does.” 

He looked taken aback for a second before shaking his head. “No, I want nothing else. Please, take the jacket. You must be cold.” 

Sans shook his head, feeling dizzy afterward. “I’m not taking the jacket until you tell me what you want!” 

The monster’s flames flickered, slowly turning white. “You’re swaying. Please. Let me help you. You...you will not survive in this weather.” 

Sans growled, baring his fangs at the monster. “No. I can take care of myself, so just go away!” 

Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, Sans fell to his knees as his legs gave out. He dropped the sign he had forgotten he had been holding and caught himself, his hands getting buried in the snow. He gasped as pain dug itself into every single one of his joints, every last bone in his body. A whimper escaped before he could stop it as the world spun around him. 

The monster drew closer. Sans pushed himself backwards, falling back on his pelvis as he tried to get as far away from the monster as he could. He stopped soon, the pain painting the edges of his visions black as he panted. The monster stopped in front of him, crouching down. 

“You are hurting yourself.” The monster draped the jacket around him, picking him up easily yet carefully and holding him under his femurs with an arm around his back. He didn’t have the energy to try and escape, but the warmth the monster provided made him not want to. 

“I’m gonna get fired.” It wasn’t even a protest at this point, just a bland statement of fact. How many jobs was he going to get fired from simply because this stranger decided he wanted a new toy? How would he get food for Papyrus? 

Wait, Papyrus. He was still in the alley, wasn’t he? He wouldn’t know Sans was taken, but he would be able to tell after a few days, right? Sans hoped he would be smart and go stay with Undyne and Alphys instead of going looking for him. He would be in good hands, he knew. 

“That is not a problem at the moment. Your bones are too cold, even for a skeleton monster. You need to be warmed up as soon as possible.” The monster began walking towards a car that was parked on the side of the road as Sans felt more heat filter through his tattered clothes and the jacket the monster had put on him. 

“It is a problem at the moment. People will suspect things, you know. I’m not a monster you just wanna take off the streets. I’m known around here.” Sans looked off to the side. 

“You are a _child_. You should not be worrying about working, you should be worrying about school and toys.” The monster opened the backseat door, grunting slightly as he sat Sans down carefully. He adjusted the jacket on Sans so he was covered more and buckled him in. 

“I’m not a kid.” Sans crossed his arms, noting how some of the ice had melted and made the movement more fluid. He tried not to think about how that was the monster’s doing or about how he probably wouldn’t have been able to move by the time his shift was over. 

The monster let out a sigh. “What’s your name?” 

“I’m not gonna tell you, you...you k-kidnapper!” 

Other than a small flicker of flames, the monster didn’t react. He got into the front seat, turning on the car and blasting the heater. “My name is Grillby. I run the bar that you were in the alley of.” There was a tense moment of silence as Grillby started to drive down the road. “Do you have any family that I could contact?” 

Sans smiled bitterly. “If I had family, why would I be working five jobs and living in a box?” He looked out the window beside him, pointedly ignoring the fact that tears were starting to build up in his eyes. He didn’t want to be here, he wanted to go home. He didn’t want to go anywhere with this monster, but what choice did he have? He hadn’t been given many choices when they had gotten to the surface, and now that he was being taken by this monster, he had even less. This monster, he was acting nice now, but Sans knew that would change. Maybe it would happen indoors, where it couldn’t be seen. Where no one would come to help him. Heh, as if anyone would before. 

“Several people said they saw you with a smaller skeleton. I assumed you had a younger sibling. Perhaps I was mistaken.” 

Sans stayed silent. Despite his fear, he would be damned if this monster - he would never be anything other than a monster to him - got Papyrus too.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo, there are a lot of reasons why this chapter took so much longer, but the gist of it is: relapse, testing, stress, testing, projects, and papers. Oh, and testing. Don't forget testing.  
> *turns into a puddle of stress, rapid typing, and nerves* *the puddle screams*

Sans didn’t know when he fell asleep, but he must have because he woke up to warmth surrounding his bones and cotton filling his head. He slowly opened his eyes, blinking at the odd glow that registered as a fireplace in his head. That didn't make sense, though. And neither did the enveloping warmth or the roof above his head.

He was supposed to be outside, he was supposed to be cold and miserable with the only warmth being his brother curled up in the blankets beside him and what little his clothes provided. He wasn’t supposed to be this comfortable, he wasn’t supposed to want to snuggle into this warmth and stay there all day.

“Oh, you’re awake.” The fire monster stepped into his view, his flames dimmer than before. Sans frowned.

“I made some soup to help wi-”

Sans sneezed abruptly, cutting the monster off and making a headache blossom in his skull. He squeezed his eyes shut and groaned quietly.

“Yes, well...that.”

The monster walked over to the dresser and picked up a bowl, glowing brighter for a few seconds before turning back to Sans. “Can you sit up on your own?”

Sans glared at the monster and turned his back on him, staring at the wall. He felt a brief moment of panic as the room got brighter, most likely in response to his childish behavior, before it dimmed back to its calm lighting. His soul continued to beat hard against his ribs.

“If you...do you not want food?”

Sans's soul quivered at the thought of replenishing his magic, but he didn't know this monster. He didn't know what methods he would use to get to him. He might've put something in the soup, he might've brought the soup to taunt him with.

His headache was worsening and his body ached. But he would persevere. For Papyrus.

...

Papyrus wasn't sure where Sans was. He was supposed to be back by now! It was way past the point that his job was over, and he always snuggled up to Papyrus when he got back.

Papyrus was starting to worry. It was _night_. Sans never stayed out past the point where the sky started to get dark.

Papyrus pet Mr. Teddy, holding him close. “Maybe I should look for him.”

Taking on a deeper and funnier voice, Papyrus replied to himself. “But Sans always says to stay in the alley when he isn't here.”

“Good point, Mr. Teddy...but you’ll protect me, right?”

“Of course I will! I would never let anyone hurt my bestest friend in the whole wide world!”

Papyrus nodded decisively as he slipped out of their box house and got to his feet. His soul gave a pang of hunger, reminding him even more of how late Sans was. He hugged Mr. Teddy close to his chest as he started walking slowly out of the alleyway. Despite his determination to find and save his brother, the dark had always scared him. More so on the surface, due to all the humans and commotion. Cars and buildings higher than he could have imagined. It was scary. The other monsters never had anything as noisy as a human city.

Papyrus tiptoed out into the sidewalk. He gasped as a car whizzed past, honking loudly and blinding him with its lights.

“Rude,” he whispered without any real bite behind it, looking for any signs of where Sans had gone. His grip tightened on Mr. Teddy when he found nothing.

He thought this search would be easy, something he could do on his own without any trouble, but he already wanted to crawl back into their box and he had just barely gotten out of the alley.

No, he had to do this! Sans could be in trouble!

He yelped as a cat suddenly pounced on one of his shoelaces, looking like a shadow had come to life. Papyrus watched the cat as he gently pulled his shoelace free from its claws. He decided that help wouldn't be a bad decision, at least this once.

Gripping Mr. Teddy close, Papyrus started to run to Auntie Undyne’s, his mismatched and untied shoelaces clacking against the pavement. Cars roared past at random intervals, most with their lights on and a horn blasting at him.

It didn't take long for him to reach Undyne’s house, panting and sweating whatever magic he had left from the meal yesterday. Or would it be two days ago now? Papyrus wasn't sure, and he wasn't too keen on figuring out just how long his brother had been away.

He shook his head and knocked hesitantly on the door. His hand was shaking.

Shuffling and muffled whispers could be heard through the door. A second after, a droopy eyed, crazy haired Undyne yanked it open, glaring at the space in front of her. The grumpiness slowly melted to confusion as she looked around.

Papyrus cleared his throat politely. “Um, hi, Auntie Undyne. I - uh….” Despite expecting to have to explain, Papyrus hadn't really rehearsed what he was going to say. If he told Undyne that Sans hadn't come home, he would be breaking his promise to Sans, and he really didn't want to do that.

“What the hell are you doing here, kid?! It's below freezing! C’mon, get in here!” Undyne gripped his arm, pulling him inside the house without ceremony. She picked him up and put him on the couch next to a slowly awakening Alphys.

“B-But, I-”

“No buts! You're gonna stay here until morning, and then I'm gonna have a talk with your parents! You shouldn't be out this late, not to mention in this weather!”

Papyrus frowned, getting up off the couch. “Auntie Undyne, I nee-”

“No, nuh-uh, stay on that couch, young man, or I’ll-”

“SANS IS MISSING!!”

Silence followed his loud statement, both adults looking down at him in surprise. Papyrus could feel tears stinging his eyes and he didn’t hold them back.

“Sans made me promise not to say anything, but he hasn’t come back from work yet! He’s not back and I’m hungry and scared and I really want him to be okay again! I don’t want him to have to-” He was interrupted by a hiccup as he started to cry in more earnest. “He shouldn’t have to take care of me first. He should be happy and-and...he’s never happy. He should be, and I want him to be, bu-but I don’t know what to do.” He hugged Mr. Teddy close to himself as he sobbed, looking up at Undyne. “Please, please, help me look for him! _Please_ help me make him happy! I’ll do anything, please!”

Alphys was the first to react, getting down on her knees and hugging him close to her chest. “We’ll help you find him, but I think we should get you warmed up first.”

“No, we need to find Sans! H-he might be in trouble!”

“Well, he’ll be found faster when you can walk without shivering! Now, you get the blankets.” Undyne pointed to Alphys dramatically. “And I’ll make the soup!”

Both women decided not to mention anything about parents.

...

Sans hated himself, the monster taking care of him, and the warmth of the blankets surrounding him. He shouldn’t be the one being taken care of like this. He should be the one taking care of others, of his brother and his….

He had decided to try the soup that the monster left on the dresser. He had tried not thinking about how hungry he was or how his soul shivered every time he caught a whiff of the warm soup, but he couldn’t stop himself from thinking about how utterly amazing it would taste. How good it would feel to have enough magic to feel truly awake. He argued with the small voice in his head saying not to trust this monster by saying that the energy would help him form a plan to escape. He could possibly even pull it off, despite being sick.

So he tried the soup. It was slightly painful to sit up and reach for the bowl, but he’s endured much worse than the aching pain he felt then. Carefully sitting back down, he stared at the soup. He wasn’t sure what kind it was, but he didn’t think on it too much.

After the first sip, his soul twinged and Sans had to stop himself from drinking it all at once. It felt amazing to have magic filling up his soul again, and the warmth from it made him melt into the blankets. He barely finished the bowl before falling asleep, head tilted to the side and the bowl sat at an odd angle in his lap.

Grillby silently walked into the room after seeing that the child had fallen asleep and picked up the bowl. He sat it on the bedside table before hesitantly adjusting the small skeleton into a more comfortable position and pulling the blankets up to his shoulders. He felt marginally guilty for putting medicine in the soup, but he didn’t let it show. The child had been in pain, and now he would be in less. He did the right thing. Or at least he hoped he did.

Now that the worst of the problem was over, he had to figure out what to do. He stared at the child, peacefully snoring on his bed. He wouldn’t have a family if he had been working out in that weather. Or...maybe he did, and they were abusive or neglectful. Maybe the skeleton was only fending for himself, saving up money from those jobs to get away from them.

But that didn’t make sense. It didn’t fit right. There weren’t any bruises, and the parents would have made him quit his jobs, right? Unless they bruised his -

No, Grillby wouldn’t let himself believe his own thoughts. He couldn’t help but think of the worst possible scenario, though. What if they _did_ do that - that horrible, unthinkable, _terrifying_ thing - to a child? How would he help him? How would he even know who to call the Guard on?

Oh wait, yes, he could call Undyne! She and her girlfriend were a package deal these days, which meant he would be calling a doctor and a Guard. Maybe they would have helpful advice on how to take care of a skeleton. And know how to find the skeleton's parents.

Speaking of, the child let out a sudden, loud, and drawn out groan. He shifted afterwards, curling in on himself and shivering with a smaller groan. Grillby bent down beside the bed and began stroking the child’s forehead, hoping to calm him and bring some warmth to his small body.

He would have to talk to the child when he felt better. For now, he had to figure out the best ways to help a skeleton when they were ill.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm doing this on my phone, so the formatting might be crap?? Idk, I'll check it on my laptop later, but I just got this chap done and read through it. I'm sick though, so I might be missing a lot of obvious stuff. Just...comment, send an ask to zanywrites.tumblr.com, whatevs if you find something wrong.
> 
> So I have some questions that will (somewhat) affect the rest of the chapters!  
> First: Who do you want to take care of the skelebabs: Auntie Undyne and Alphys, Grillby, or both of them?  
> Second: What other jobs do you want Sans to have?  
> Third: What type of employers (other than the one at Friskie's, as his type has already been decided) do you want Sans to have? Mean ones? Or nice ones?
> 
> And here's a fourth one that's not related to this story: for the peeps here that might have read the first chap of my other story Valen-time For Communication, do you want three chapters with the third chapter as the smut and the second as romance and fluff yet both of them smaller than the first? Or a big second chapter with both romance and smut in one?

Grillby was hesitant to call Undyne at this time of night, seeing as she was a busy person. Maybe he could wait until the morning? Should he, though? What if something happened before then and the child was, for whatever reason, taken from him? What if his parents came?

Grillby’s flames flickered with indecision and slight agitation, tapping his foot as he stared at the phone. It shouldn’t be this hard of a decision. The safety of the child came first, but if his parents did come, Grillby would want to have a few words with them. He didn’t even know if they were abusive! He’d just assumed the worst!

Dear Asgore, he was being idiotic. He wasn’t a fighter, wasn’t some mighty hero that could take on anything. He was just some shitty bartender. Who was he to think that he could take on the duties of the Guard?

He crackled out a sigh, picking up the phone and dialing Undyne’s number. His foot regained the rhythm it had tapped to before.

“Mmm. Yeah?” Stars, she sounded tired.

“Hello...I-well...this...I found….” He decided to take a moment and gather his thoughts a bit more.

“Um, Grillby? You alright, bud?” Well now she didn’t sound tired. She sounded like his broken, not-even-half sentences had put her on high alert. God damn it.

He sighed again, this time rubbing at his forehead. “Yes, yes, I’m fine. Just...scattered.”

There was a long pause as Grillby’s flames crackled and his mind scrambled to form a coherent sentence that would translate well from his head to his mouth.

“Was there...a reason you called me? ‘Cause, like, I know we’re friends and everything, but I’m kinda in the middle of a weird situation. And it’s...what, 3 in the morning?”

“Yes! There’s a reas-” Grillby cut himself off, focusing on controlling his flickering fire so he didn’t burn his house down. That would not help his situation, however appealing it sounded. “I apologize...I am also in a weird situation. A skeleton child is currently sick and sleeping in my bed. I don’t know his name, but I know he’s been working several jobs on his own. I was wondering if you could come to my house and bring Alphys with you? I don’t know how to care for skeletons...or children….”

There was a beat of silence that made Grillby’s flames start flickering again. Why was he so nervous?

“Wait, really?”

Grillby wasn’t quite sure how to reply to her obvious disbelief. “Yes? I know it might be a lot to ask bu-”

“What?! No, no, we were just looking for the skeleton you have, actually! We’ll be right over!” With that, Undyne hung up and left Grillby staring at the phone with dancing flames and wide eyes.

What would cause the former leader of the Royal Guard to look for a child?

...

Grillby was pacing when Undyne burst through the door, Alphys clutching onto her back as if scared for her life. Undyne was sweating and panting, her cheeks flushed but a giant grin on her face. “Hey, Grillby!”

It took a moment to gather himself enough to reply, and in that moment, he noticed another monster in their group. A skeleton child with a smile just like Undyne’s. He stared at the child, wondering if they knew how much their sibling worked. Subtly shaking his head, he firmly brought himself into the present.

“Hello, Undyne, Alphys.” He nodded to both of them in turn. “The child is this way.” With that, he turned and walked toward his bedroom, nervously playing with his hands. How would they react? They must know the child, or at least know of him, to have been so excited when he had said he'd found him.

He opened the door to his bedroom and quietly stood off to the side to let them in first. He noticed that the skeleton that had been in Undyne’s arms was now walking on his own and gripping her hand in a hold that seemed to make even the captain of the Guard wince. But as soon as they saw their sibling, they let go and ran to the side of the bed.

“IS HE OKAY?!” Their voice was really loud….

“He's a bit sick, but I'm sure he'll pull through. He's...rather strong for a child.” Grillby wasn't sure if his words helped, but the child turned back to his brother.

He jumped as Undyne patted his shoulder roughly. Alphys joined the other skeleton child at the bed, leaning down and picking him up to tuck him under the covers next to his brother. Now that Grillby thought about, the other one was most likely sick as well. He looked rather flushed for a skeleton.

“How many jobs did the little nerd have anyway?” The question seemed to be mostly to herself, but Grillby wanted to help the former Captain in any way he could.

“He said he had five, but I've only found two of them so far. I saw him working a sign spinning job while I was trying to find more information….”

Grillby adjusted his clothes as he tried not to think about how angry it made him that a child, probably no older than ten, was working as hard as he was. He didn't even know the reason why he was doing it! Was it money? Or was it because his parents wanted him to? Either way, he didn't deserve whatever path he had been leading.

“Well, tell me what they are!” Undyne's eyes shone with determination as she watched Alphys check the two skeletons’ temperatures.

Grillby stared at the three on his bed before turning to Undyne. “He worked at a place called Friskie’s and was sign spinning for a restaurant named…” Grillby had to think back to remember the restaurant’s name on the sign. “Polly’s Pizza?” He wasn't sure.

“Alright, I'm gonna check those out. Do you wanna come with or stay and help Alph with the kids?”

The bartender looked at Undyne and did his best to imitate raising his eyebrows without having any. “I am not qualified for either of those options.”

Undyne chuckled, throwing an arm around his shoulders. “If you're not gonna decide, then you're coming with me.” The former Captain turned to her girlfriend. “Hey Babe, Grillbz and I are going to kick some aaa...I-I mean, kick some butt! Don't wait up for us, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *flops over and cries* I accidentally spit out my water and I'm just so done with everything, oh my good heavens


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Warning for self-harm and panic attacks**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo...HAPPY NEW YEAR!! In celebration, I have written an extra long chapter (by my standards, at least >->)! I hope you enjoy this honestly not all that happy chapter!

Friskie’s wasn't the best restaurant in Ebotton. In fact, it was far from it. The small building was a horrendous yellow with a dirty green-brown mix as the poorly chosen secondary color. The building was held up by its few regular patrons, the type to hang around the corners with a glare that could ward off even the toughest of waiters. It was a place for judgy old people to sit and talk about things that didn't matter anymore and teenagers with hate in their souls to crowd around the booths and gossip about people they think are too different. It was one of the only restaurants in the town to still have a mainly human patronage and for good reason.

Undyne walked into the establishment with determination in her step and fire in her eyes. She didn't acknowledge the glares she gained as she burst the door open. She was on a mission.

Grillby walked in silently behind her, flaring red a moment as he noticed all the nasty looks they garnered. Is this what the child went through everyday?

“H-Hello, welcome to Fris-”

“Where's your boss?!” Undyne loomed threateningly over the server, nearly glaring them into an early grave. She took note of the name on their name tag in case she needed it.

“Um, he’s not….” The server paused, then looked at Undyne in the eyes with as much ferocity as the fish woman. “Is this about Sans?”

Undyne faltered for a second, not expecting to be met in her ferociousness. She grinned. Good, a challenge. “Yes, what do you know?”

“I know he hasn't been treated right. He gets way less pay and way more work. Other than that, I know little to nothing about his life.”

“I knew it! Where's your manager?!”

“I'll show you where he is if you let me come with you. You know where Sans is, right?” The server took off their apron and threw it on the table beside them.

Undyne simply nodded, Grillby’s flames dancing behind her. The server grinned, nodded, then turned around and waved for them to follow.

“Hey, Carol, wanna come quit with me?!”

“Hells yeah!” a muffled voice from the general vicinity of the kitchen yelled, “Did Sans quit already?!”

Undyne butted into the conversation. “You bet your ass he did!”

“Good!”

A thin black lady stepped out from the kitchen, taking off her apron and throwing it on the counter behind her. “I'm so gonna get this whole place shut down after this.”

The small procession marched to the back of the restaurant and burst through the door that lead to none other than the boss himself, Bill Hangley. Almost as soon as he realized what was going on, Undyne was up in his face, giant grin showing her sharp teeth.

“Did you know Sans was a child? Did you know we could charge you for child abuse if you did?” She didn’t touch him, didn’t lay a finger on his crusty little ass, but he was still shivering in his shoes.

“A-A child?” Bill at least seemed to grasp the severity of the situation he found himself in.

“Yes, a kid. Not even in the double digits yet. Can you believe that?”

Grillby noticed that the server Jesse, according to their name tag, and the woman they called Carol were as wide-eyed as Bill was. He didn’t say anything, simply turned his attention back to Bill with a dimmer flame than before.

“I-I...I didn’t know! I wouldn’t have - wouldn’t have even considered-!” Bill seemed overwhelmed, tripping over words and trailing off in random places.

“Wouldn’t have what? Called Sans a maggot and gave him a workload we all know was unfair?” Carol butted in, as the stuttering Bill tried to recover from the shock. The cook crossed her arms in barely concealed rage as Jesse nodded their agreement.

Undyne snarled at the tidbit of information. She would have to use one of the humans’ laws to kick this bastard straight into a cell if at all possible. When she looked over at her ass kicking partners to tell them it was time to leave, she noticed the _very_ red flames of her elemental friend.

She sighed, wanting badly to punch the skeevy asshole in the face before she left, but she reigned in her aggression for the betterment of all the people involved. “Hey G, let’s take a walk outside before you burn the place down. As much as I would love for that to happen, I want this bastard to pay in a different way.”

Undyne didn’t look back at Jesse and Carol as she pulled Grillby out of the establishment to cool off.

…

Sans was too warm, pulling him from his sleep gradually. His head pounded as consciousness sluggishly came back to him. The first thing he noticed was the overwhelming heat. He knew he had a blanket on, but he didn’t feel like moving to take it off. Correction: he didn’t feel like he could move to take it off.

It was then that he noticed the arms around him, and that wasn’t anything really surprising, seeing as Papyrus was a snuggly kind of sleeper. But he realized soon after that it wasn’t just Papyrus, there was also a hand stroking his forehead. Bones tense now, he tried to figure out who it was without them noticing he was awake.

His mind immediately went to _him_ , but he quickly dismissed the idea. It was too gentle. And it wasn't back then anymore, was it?

Had Grillby come back? Would he even keep up the fake niceties when he was asleep? No, Grillby was warmer. Then who…? His mind was too scrambled to think of anyone _gentle_.

“Sans?” It was said hesitantly and hushed, and Sans felt the absurd urge to cry.

He opened his eyes slowly, greeted with the concerned face of Alphys and the realization that Papyrus was with him again and probably Undyne too, if Alphys was there. Did they...save him? That didn’t sound right.

“Where’s…” He didn’t want to say Grillby’s name out loud, either because he felt greatly unnerved that he almost wanted to or because he thought it would somehow bring him into the room with them, he didn’t know. “Where’s the fire monster?” Good enough.

“Grillby’s making food, U-Undyne is talking with some of your...w-work friends?”

Sans blinked, then looked around the room. “Why are they here? Which ones are you even talking about?” If she was here and talking about ‘work friends,’ she probably knew about the jobs. Some of them, at least.

“Jesse and C-Carol. They wanted to see you.”

He didn’t really know how to reply or if he even needed to. They knew he had at least one job, they probably knew about their homelessness. What was the point in trying anymore?

The thought made him both relax and become even more nervous, if that was possible. He needed to do something, but giving up was what he did best.

“Sans, do you...want to t-talk about it?”

No. Never. They would _know_ , and then they would hate him if they didn’t already.

“It’s alright...i-if you don’t. But know that I am always open t-to talk, whenever you need.”

Sans didn’t feel like deflecting anything anymore, but he didn’t want to talk. Talking was hard. Talking just hurt more. Was he allowed not to? Everything was so hard to understand, and his head still hurt.

For a second, there was silence as the two sat there. Then, the door opened slightly as Grillby peeked in. His flames sparked when he saw that Sans was awake, before he stepped fully into the room. “Ah, if you’re up to it, I made more soup.”

Sans replied more out of a want to avoid a talk with Alphys. “I’m not hungry.”

“You and P-Papyrus still need to eat, thou-”

Alphys was cut off by Undyne taking the open door as an opportunity to barge into the room and point at Sans. “Hey, Shorty! What made you think that we wouldn’t help you?!”

Sans unconsciously straightened up at Undyne’s loudness, eyes widening. “U-uh.” His gaze darted around the room. “I don’t...I don’t know?”

He scratched at his arm, before noticing that his jacket was no longer covering him. He couldn’t let them - ~~**him**~~...he needed his jacket, where was it? “Wh-where’s my jacket?” His voice shook.

At work, no one would ask. They would leave him alone, if they even cared enough to notice. Papyrus already knew about the marks, had already asked him about them months before. But with Undyne and Alphys, he knew they would at least question him for the marks on his arms. He didn’t want to have to deflect again. It was so exhausting. Please, just once.

“It is in the dryer. I could get it for you, if you want. But I had wanted to sew some of the holes closed before I gave it back.” Grillby’s flames crackled, dimming slightly. “Are you alright?”

Sans nodded automatically, but by the looks the others were sending him, he didn’t make it seem convincing. They were just like _**him**_ , always watching to make sure he didn’t make the wrong choice, didn’t _tell_.

He couldn’t think enough to make himself seem better. It would hurt so bad if he couldn’t do this. _Please_ , he just - he just...he needed his jacket, it was the only thing he had left of ~~her~~ ~~him~~ the time before. What would he do if it was taken from him? What if he...?

His arms hurt, stung so bad. But he needed to be better. He needed to show them how perfect his life was. He was happy; he was a good child with a great father who didn’t hurt him. He wasn’t scared. He was fine, he was fine, he was **f i n e**.

“Shhh, Sans. It’s alright. He’s gone. It’s alright.” The voice cut through his spiraling thoughts, and he blinked his eyes open to see Papyrus, holding his hands away from each other.

Little specks of dust clung to his fingertips, and he felt warm blood seeping from fresh wounds on his arms. His gaze started to drift away from the sight in front of him, before Papyrus commanded his attention again.

“Hey, look at me.” His tone brokered no arguments. “There we go. Now, breathe with me.” Papyrus exaggerated his breathing, and Sans followed along until the weight lifted from his chest. Papyrus smiled, but it was tinged with sadness.

Sans pulled his hands out of Papyrus’s hold and stared at his arms. After examining the damage, he looked away and wiped away the wetness on his cheeks. He remembered nights that were much the same as this one, back...then. But it wasn’t back then anymore, and he had just showed a side of himself that he hadn’t wanted anyone else to see. He didn’t want to think about it anymore, so he didn’t.

“Alright, brother. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Papyrus helped Sans get off the bed, before he turned to Grillby. “Mister Grillby sir, where’s your bathroom?”

Grillby didn’t think he could move or talk or do much of anything at the moment. It wasn’t until Undyne put a hand on his shoulder that he looked up from the spot on the floor he had been staring at. She looked just as heartbroken as he felt. He looked over at Alphys, who seemed to be watching Sans and Papyrus carefully, eyes watering.

Grillby motioned for the children to follow him and walked out of the room, the two small skeletons close behind. Jesse and Carol almost immediately tried to swarm him, but he shook his head at them. Once they saw Sans and Papyrus, both of their eyes widened at the blood now dripping down Sans’s hands. They seemed frozen.

Grillby continued on, leading them to the bathroom and opening the door for them. He had wanted to pick them up and carry them there, but he knew that Sans, at least, would not...appreciate the gesture.

“Thank you, Mister Grillby.” And, despite everything, Papyrus smiled at him like he had just saved the entire Underground single handedly.

He didn’t feel like he had done anything close to warranting such a sincere expression of gratitude.

...

Papyrus didn’t really _fully_ understand what had made him remember their parents. He just woke up to the sound of bone scratching against bone, and everything came back. He had suddenly remembered every night he had woken up to that same sound and had done the exact same thing he had done just moments before to help Sans. And he remembered...everything else.

It should have been apparent the first time Sans had woken up from a nightmare, flinching away from his loud voice and his hugs. He wished he would have remembered sooner, it would have explained so much. It would have let him help Sans a lot better.

He could have...maybe he could have explained to Sans that Undyne and Alphys had never once been mean to them, that they were not going to suddenly turn around and hurt them just because of a little mistake. Because, despite everything the two had done for them, he knows that Sans didn’t believe it.

With his new knowledge, he was also hesitant to trust them as readily as he had before. But, even if he had new memories, he wasn’t going to just distrust everyone! He knew there were good people out there! Just like...just like their mother.

Maybe, just maybe, he could convince Sans of that now.


End file.
